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Identification

Fibre type	Straw
Average fibre lenght	1.4mm (0.4 – 3.5)
Average fibre width	8 µm (4 – 16)
Fibre ends	Scalloped or pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint fiber wall
Associated cells	Vessel elements relatively small and abundant. Numerous small parenchyma cells in barrel-shaped, with thin-walled. Pitted vessel elements. Epidermal cells in sawtooth-shape. Prickle hairs. Occasional presence of siliceous phytoliths elements.
Special features	Short fibers with thick and narrow walls. Numerous narrow epidermal cells with conical protuberances.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Reddish blue.

Botanical classification

Oryza sativa L.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Oryza formosana Masam. & Suzuki

Oryza sativa var. formosana (Masam. & Suzuki) Yeh & Henderson

Plant growing area

There were several centers of domestication in China south of Yangtze, Thailand and northern India.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

Burma, China, Korea, India, Japan.

China:

Anhui, Zhejiang.

Plant cultivation and use

Rice is one of the three main food grasses. It is found from sea level to 2000 meters. It is an annual plant, with a stem topped by a thatch, ranging from one meter to five meters (floating rice).

Rice begins to be cultivated from the Neolithic period (-8000). The wild relative which Oryza sativa comes from is Oryza rufipogon which existence is attested from about 650,000 years.
Oryza sativa is derived from various events of domestication around -5000 in Northern India, and at the border between China and Burma.

Rice is regularly cultivated in China as early as -3000. Its cultivation came to Japan to -1700 and covers most areas in warm tropical Asia.

The straw is an abundant agricultural by-product that finds many uses: papermaking fibers, biomass fuel, mulch for animals etc.

In the paper industry, it is often mixed with long bast fibers to reduce the effect of diffusion of ink in paper. Making paper from rice or wheat straws is simpler than with other materials because they are softer materials, and they require less preparation time.

China:

Su I-Chien (953-996), in the "Phu Weng Fang Ssu" or "Four implements for writing in a scholar's studio" says that rice and wheat straws are used in Zhejiang and produce an excellent paper when mixed with rattan.

The most famous paper containing rice straw is Xuan zhi. This paper is produced in Jing County, Anhui Province. It is made from fibers from the bark of blue sandalwood and rice straw. It is the mixture of the two types of fibers that gives the paper its qualities for painting and calligraphy, in particular the effect of sharp brushstrokes.

Xuan paper is cited in the "Xīn Tángshū" or “New history of Tang” (edited by official scholars of the Song Dynasty), in 1060.

Its manufacture in Jing County dates back to Tang Dynasty (618-907). Neighboring cities around Xuancheng and Taiping were production centers. Jing County during the Tang period was under the juridiction of Xuanzhou prefecture, which gave it its name. Gradually during the Song dynasty (960-1279), papermaking moved essentially towards Jing County because the raw materials were abundant: Ulmus cavaleriei or Pteroceltis tatarinowii is an endemic species there and the rice is grown on site. Originally, rice straw was added as a supplement to reduce the fibrous raw material costs. Other materials such as bamboo are also used during the Song and Yuan dynasties ((1280-1368).

During the Ming (1368-1644), paper was made by mixing rice straw and bamboo : Song Yingxing (1587-1646) in the "Tian Gong Kai Wu" or "Creations of nature and work of man " (encyclopedia dated 1637) mentions the blending of straw with bamboo in the manufacture of wrapping paper.
Currently straw is still one of the most used materials in the production of packaging paper, ceremony papers and sanitary papers.

Japan:

Rice straw was used at the time of mechanization with the search for new materials. These tests were conducted in Kochi Prefecture during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Straw is also used in the manufacture of paper kairyo hanshi or improved hanshi after the World War II.

In Japan various parts of the straw are used: the highest quality is produced with the portion of the stem that goes from the first node to the head (sube), the second quality is composed of the part below the first node (nakanuki ) and the remainder gives the worst quality (dou).

Rice flour is used to give gloss to the paper and can be mixed with chalk, kaolin to load paper.

Korea:

From the Joseon period (1392-1910), raw materials traditionally used for paper production, mainly bark of Broussonetias begin to fail. Papermakers face to a growing demand for paper stimulated by the development of publications initiated during the Goryeo period (907-1392). Other plants will be used to provide a fiber supplement such as wisteria, rice, oat and barley straws, bamboo, jute, cotton and hemp but also willow leaves, reeds, the bark and needles of pine.

The various straws are used in combination with the bark of Broussonetia. They are additional raw materials to reduce the cost.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

After harvesting and removing of the seeds, the straw is beaten to soften it. Then the stalks are layered with lime in a pit covered with earth during 6 months; this allows rapid disintegration.

The straw is then placed in fine mesh bags suspended from poles in running water to remove the whole lime.

The beating is shorter and less violent than for bamboo or bark pulps.

"Tian Gong Kai Wu" variant: the straw is beaten at first then after immersion in lime water, it is buried in a pit. After disintegration, straw, placed in cloth bags, is rinsed in river.

Japan:

Straw is boiled in caustic soda.

Paper names

In Asia and particularly in China, Korea and Japan, the papers are intended for a wide range of use: Papers for calligraphy and art, Papers for ceremonies, Paper as a medium of exchange, money paper, Papers for making clothes, wall hangings and bedding, Papers for architecture, interior design, Papers for crafts of various kinds, for domestic purposes and leisure. The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.

In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Straw

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot © Flora of China

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot © C. Laroque

Botanical classification

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. var. manihot

Hibiscus japonicus Miq.

Plant growing area

China: (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan), India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, North Thailand.

Grows in grasslands, on streamsides, margins of cultivated fields, from 1000 to 2100 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Hibiscus manihot is a perennial plant with annuals flowers, 1 to 2 m in height that grows rather in temperate zones. It prefers well-drained soil but of various kinds and a sunny exposure. The flower color varies from white to light yellow. Flowering occurs between August and October.
The plant has medicinal properties, it is emmenagogue and sedative for pain. Its flowers and leaves are edible.

The roots contain a mucilage which is a polysaccharide, a copolymer of D-galacturonic acid and L-rhamnose. This viscous material is added to pulp to increase its viscosity and thus delay the settling of fibers in the tank. In addition, the mucilage allows a better dispersion of the long fibers. The solution is unstable and its viscosity decreases with the heat, prolonged exposure to air and mechanical agitation. So, during the work, the papermaker will add mucilage gradually as its viscosity decreases.

In the late 19th century, it seems that the use of the mucilage from the Hibiscus manihot replaced the use of other plants to become the dominant mucilage throughout East Asia.

China:

Hibiscus manihot is used during the South Song dynasty (1127-1279) but the beginning of its use is probably older. The use of Hibiscus manihot is quoted in the stories of "Guixinzashi " or "Miscellaneous news from Guixin street" by Zhou Mi (mid 13th century). Other references show that it is still used as formation aid at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), particularly for the manufacture of paper made with paper mulberry fibers; its use is documented in the "Wulixiaoshi" or "Some Knowledge of Physics" written by Fang Yishi in 1643.

Japan:

The plant grows wild throughout Japan. When it is grown on rich soils it has less coarse roots than the plants grown on poor soils. The leaves and flowers are removed to allow better root growth. The plant is torn from the ground when the leaves turn yellow, the roots are separated from the rest of the plant, bundled and placed in a dry place.

During the warm season the mucilage should be used immediately because it quickly loses its properties by fermenting.

Korea:

The plant was probably imported from China. In the past all plant parts were used to give the mucilage (stem, leaves, roots).

She is quoted in an encyclopedia dated 1850 “Ojuyeonmunjangjeonsango” by Igyujyeong.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

The plant is sown in spring and harvest usually takes place in late fall before the frost. The flowers are removed regularly to allow better root growth.

The plant is torn from the ground when the leaves turn yellow. The outer bark is peeled from the root. The root is crushed or coarsely grated. It is then placed in a cloth bag and submerged in a bucket of water. After formation of the mucilage, the bag is pressed or suspended to extract it.

Japan:

Seeds are sown at the same time as mungo beans.

The plant is torn from the ground when the leaves turn yellow, usually in June and it is dried until a later use. Or the roots are recovered to be used immediately, in November December. They can also be kept immersed in creosote.

The outer bark is peeled from the root. The root is crushed or coarsely grated. It is then placed in a cloth bag and submerged in a bucket of water. After formation of the mucilage the bag is pressed or suspended to extract it.

Korea:

The plant is sown in spring and harvest usually takes place in late fall before the frost. The flowers are removed regularly to allow better root growth.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Dalbergia hupeana Hance © Plantillustrations

Dalbergia hupeana Hance © CFH Nature Museum

Identification

Fibre type
Average fibre lenght
Average fibre width
Fibre ends
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells
Special features
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining

Botanical classification

Dalbergia hupeana Hance

Order:

Fabales

Family:

Fabaceae

Synonyms:

Dalbergia hupeana var. bauhiniifolia Pamp.

Dalbergia sacerdotum Prain

Plant growing area

Endemic in China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang).

Grows in forests, on mountain slopes, by streams, between 800 to 1400 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China.

Plant cultivation and use

Dalbergia hupeana is a tree, 10-20 m tall. There are some hundreds species of Dalbergia which are exploited for their hardwood and essential oils they contain. These oils confer them insecticides and medicinal properties (antiphlogistic).

China:

Hardwood tree that grew first in the department of Xuanzheng (Anhui).

The bark of sandalwood called tanpi was the main material for manufacturing Xuan paper.

During the Later Han Dynasty, it would be discovered by accident that it could be used to make paper.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

The tree is cut during the winter and cut into pieces. These pieces are placed in a steamer and the bark is peeled. It is washed with water and then mixed with lime for 10 or 20 days. When the bark is half softened, it was beaten with a foot hammer or a water wheel grinder. The beating is repeated 3 or 4 times to get the right consistency and the pulp can be used to form the sheets.

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.

In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Dye

Identification

Fibre type	Stem, straw
Average fibre lenght	1,6 mm (1.5– 3,2)
Average fibre width	23 µm (7.5 – 29.7)
Fibre ends	Pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Abundant parenchyma cells.
Special features	Faint walls.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Purple.

Botanical classification

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. frumentacea Makino

Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen (Rom. Caill.) Stapf. ex Hook f.

Coix lacryma-jobi subsp. ma-yuen (Rom. Caill.) T. Koyama

Plant growing area

This species is native to warm-temperate regions of Asia. It is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Bhutan Burma, China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

It grows near the streams, in marshy valleys, moist fields.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Coix lacryma-jobi is widely cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions. It is an annual tall grain-bearing plant.

Throughout East Asia, Job's Tears are available in dried form and cooked as a grain (in Korea and China, liquors are also distilled from the grain).

It is also used in traditional Chinese and Lao medicines as diuretic.

Korea:

Coix lachryma-jobi is used in combination with the paper mulberry fibers, as a complement.

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Straw

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Sphagnum palustre L. © CFH Nature Museum

Identification

Fibre type	....
Average fibre length
Average fibre width
Fibre ends
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated Cells
Special features
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining

Botanical classification

Sphagnum palustre L.

Order:

Sphagnales

Family:

Sphagnaceae

Synonyms:

Sphagnum cymbifolioides Breutel

Sphagnum cymbifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw.

Sphagnum cymbifolium var. squarrosulum Nees & Hornsch.

Sphagnum deflexum Gilib.

Sphagnum glaucum H. Klinggr.

Sphagnum japonicum Warnst.

Sphagnum klinggraeffii Roll

Sphagnum lonchocladum Müll. Hal.

Sphagnum oblongum P. Beauv.

Sphagnum obtusifolium Ehrh.

Sphagnum palustre ssp. cymbifolium Ehrh..

Sphagnum palustre var. latifolium F.W. Weiss

Sphagnum subbicolor Hampe

Sphagnum sulphureum Warnst.

Sphagnum vulgare Michx.

Plant growing area

The genus is distributed nearly throughout the world. It is more abundant in the cooler temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere.

Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand.

It grows in bogs, on wet grassland or undergrowth, on rocks and humid soils near streams.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Bogmoss is a kind of bryophyte moss or plant which has retained the character of the first plants that have evolved on land. It is a plant without roots or true conducting tissues which erected stems are 10 to 25 cm high; it grows very slowly on the surface (3 cm per year) while its lower parts dye forming the peat.

China:

In the "Yunju Mishu" or "Rare Books in Yunju", text written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) which gives information on raw materials used in the manufacture of paper and provinces where they are used, it is stated that moss is used in the maritime areas of China. Is this moss, bog moss or algae?

Korea:

Bog moss is used in the form of filaments, mixed with other fibers.

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

中华猕猴桃

Botanical classification

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Order:

Ericales

Family:

Actinidiaceae

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan.

Grows in mountain forests, in thickets on low mountains (200-2600 m).

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China.

China:

Guizhou.

Plant cultivation and use

Actinidia chinensis is a deciduous climber growing to 7.5 m. It is the producer of kiwifruit widely cultivated in China and elsewhere.

It has medicinal uses: the fruits, stems and roots are diuretic, febrifuge and sedative.

The plant is said to have insecticidal properties.

A mucilage is extracted from the stem and the leaves which is used as formation aid in paper making. This viscous material is added to the pulp to increase its viscosity and thus delay the settling of fibers in the tank. In addition, the mucilage allows a better dispersion of the long fibers.

China:

It is part of Materia Medica sinensis. A decoction made from the stems is mentioned as formation aid at least since the Song. The use of Actinidia chinensis is mentioned in the tales of "Guixinzashi" or "Miscellaneous news from Guixin street " by Zhou Mi (mid 13^th century)

There are numerous citations during the Ming dynasty as in "Wulixiaoshi"» or "Some Knowledge of Physics" by Fang Yishi (1643).

It is a widely used as formation aid beside Hibiscus manihot.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Seeds are sown in spring in a greenhouse and they germinate in 2 - 3 months.

The stems are crushed and soaked. The decoction is filtered before use.

Used part of the plant:

Leaf

Stem

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

Korean

Local scripture:

양다래

Botanical classification

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Order:

Ericales

Family:

Actinidiaceae

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan.

Grows in mountain forests, in thickets on low mountains (200-2600 m).

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China.

China:

Guizhou.

Plant cultivation and use

Actinidia chinensis is a deciduous climber growing to 7.5 m. It is the producer of kiwifruit widely cultivated in China and elsewhere.

It has medicinal uses: the fruits, stems and roots are diuretic, febrifuge and sedative.

The plant is said to have insecticidal properties.

China:

There are numerous citations during the Ming dynasty as in "Wulixiaoshi"» or "Some Knowledge of Physics" by Fang Yishi (1643).

It is a widely used as formation aid beside Hibiscus manihot.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Seeds are sown in spring in a greenhouse and they germinate in 2 - 3 months.

The stems are crushed and soaked. The decoction is filtered before use.

Used part of the plant:

Leaf

Stem

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

French

Botanical classification

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Order:

Ericales

Family:

Actinidiaceae

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan.

Grows in mountain forests, in thickets on low mountains (200-2600 m).

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China.

China:

Guizhou.

Plant cultivation and use

Actinidia chinensis is a deciduous climber growing to 7.5 m. It is the producer of kiwifruit widely cultivated in China and elsewhere.

It has medicinal uses: the fruits, stems and roots are diuretic, febrifuge and sedative.

The plant is said to have insecticidal properties.

China:

There are numerous citations during the Ming dynasty as in "Wulixiaoshi"» or "Some Knowledge of Physics" by Fang Yishi (1643).

It is a widely used as formation aid beside Hibiscus manihot.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Seeds are sown in spring in a greenhouse and they germinate in 2 - 3 months.

The stems are crushed and soaked. The decoction is filtered before use.

Used part of the plant:

Leaf

Stem

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

English

Botanical classification

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Order:

Ericales

Family:

Actinidiaceae

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan.

Grows in mountain forests, in thickets on low mountains (200-2600 m).

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China.

China:

Guizhou.

Plant cultivation and use

Actinidia chinensis is a deciduous climber growing to 7.5 m. It is the producer of kiwifruit widely cultivated in China and elsewhere.

It has medicinal uses: the fruits, stems and roots are diuretic, febrifuge and sedative.

The plant is said to have insecticidal properties.

China:

There are numerous citations during the Ming dynasty as in "Wulixiaoshi"» or "Some Knowledge of Physics" by Fang Yishi (1643).

It is a widely used as formation aid beside Hibiscus manihot.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Seeds are sown in spring in a greenhouse and they germinate in 2 - 3 months.

The stems are crushed and soaked. The decoction is filtered before use.

Used part of the plant:

Leaf

Stem

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

猕猴桃

Botanical classification

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Order:

Ericales

Family:

Actinidiaceae

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan.

Grows in mountain forests, in thickets on low mountains (200-2600 m).

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China.

China:

Guizhou.

Plant cultivation and use

Actinidia chinensis is a deciduous climber growing to 7.5 m. It is the producer of kiwifruit widely cultivated in China and elsewhere.

It has medicinal uses: the fruits, stems and roots are diuretic, febrifuge and sedative.

The plant is said to have insecticidal properties.

China:

There are numerous citations during the Ming dynasty as in "Wulixiaoshi"» or "Some Knowledge of Physics" by Fang Yishi (1643).

It is a widely used as formation aid beside Hibiscus manihot.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Seeds are sown in spring in a greenhouse and they germinate in 2 - 3 months.

The stems are crushed and soaked. The decoction is filtered before use.

Used part of the plant:

Leaf

Stem

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Primary tabs

Oryza sativa L.

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot

Dalbergia hupeana Hance

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Sphagnum palustre L.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

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Primary tabs

Oryza sativa L.

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot

Dalbergia hupeana Hance

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Sphagnum palustre L.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

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